The present disclosure relates generally to fishing devices. In particular, release devices for fishing rigs are described.
Fishing rigging systems or fishing rigs are commonly utilized by amateur and professional fisherman to fish more effectively for certain types of fish using trolling techniques. Common fishing rigs include downrigger and outrigger systems. Downrigger systems are used to target fish deeper in the water whereas outrigger systems are most often used to target fish near the surface of the water. Both systems involve a rigging line couple to a boom secured to a boat and a fishing line coupled to the rigging line via a release device configured to selectively release the fishing line from the rigging line.
Known release devices are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. For example, conventional release devices rely on pinch pads or fine wire as release mechanisms. Release mechanisms relying on pinch pads and fine wire are subject to false tripping, i.e., releasing at inappropriate times.
Existing release devices relying on pinch pads or fine wire are also subject to damaging the fishing line. Importantly, conventional release devices relying on pinch pads or fine wire are generally not capable of being adjusted tight enough to work properly with braided fishing line. Braided fishing line is often necessary to hold large flashers and bait at significant depth, in heavy current, or at faster trolling speeds.
Existing release devices are not adapted well for smaller, lighter weight fish. In addition, conventional release devices are either limited to releasing fishing lines under a fixed tension or under an undesirably small range of tensions with only coarse tension adjustment capabilities. The fixed or small range of release tensions tend to be relatively large tension values, suitable for only large fish. There is a need for release devices that better target small fish and that release at a wider range of tension values with fine adjustments.
Further, conventional release devices are not adequately configured to be readily used on either side of a boat without tangled fishing line complications. In particular, conventional devices include threaded fasteners that can not be readily installed on either side of the device. A fixed position fastener does not properly account for the orientation of the device in the water resulting from the device's position on a given side of the boat and the way the fishing line is secured by the release device.
Conventional release devices with fixed position fasteners suffer from tangled fishing lines on at least one side of the boat because buoyancy factors will generally orient the fastener downwards. Depending on the way the fishing line is secured by the release device, the release device moving to a position where the fastener is oriented downwards can tangle the fishing line and cause a host of complications. It would be desirable to have a release device that could easily and conveniently be used with rigging systems disposed on either side of a boat.
Another limitation of existing release devices is their inability to selectively engage the fishing line to selectively allow or restrict the fishing line from extending out farther while trolling. Some trolling techniques benefit from allowing or restricting the fishing line to extend while trolling. However, conventional release devices generally must be swapped out entirely to switch from a fixed length fishing line configuration or an extending line configuration. It would be more effective and convenient to have a release device that could be adjusted to allow either type of configuration.
Thus, there exists a need for release devices that improve upon and advance the design of known release devices. Examples of new and useful release devices relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.
Disclosure addressing one or more of the identified existing needs is provided in the detailed description below. Examples of references relevant to release devices include U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,222 and D247300. The complete disclosures of the above patents are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.